Trot singer Lim Young-woong, more popular than BTS, is loved by North and South Koreans

With 10 billion music platform streams, more than 200,000 fan club members and a sold-out stadium tour, Lim Young-woong is flying high

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Woongsarang, a fan of South Korean trot singer Lim Young-woong, at a cafe named Woong’s Tree in Pocheon, South Korea, dedicated to the singer. In his home country he is more popular than superstar K-pop boy band BTS. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:15pm, 10 Aug 2024Updated: 3:47pm, 12 Aug 2024

Lim Young-woong may not have as many fans as global superstars BTS but, with billions of streams and a sold-out stadium tour, the trot singer is showing there is more to South Korean music than K-pop.

Trot, once dismissed and ridiculed as music for pensioners, blends traditional Korean music with elements of Western jazz, swing and a Japanese music style called Enka.

Lim, 33, is one of a crop of younger artists who are breathing new life into the genre, with its melodramatic ballads and upbeat tunes finding massive audiences in South Korea, helped by a wave of reality television shows.

The original, Mr Trot, was won by Lim in 2020, with more than a third of all South Korean viewers watching the final – and his victory has turned him into a nationwide sensation. His songs have 10 billion streams on music platform Melon, his official fan club has more than 200,000 members and his tours sell out in minutes.

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According to a recent poll by research company Gallup Korea, Lim is South Korea’s most loved singer, beating out BTS, who were ranked third favourite.